Renewable fuse plug



July 5, 1927. 1,634,810

I H. J. WHEELER RENEWABLE FUSE PLUG v Filed June 14, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet1 IN V/iNTOR 1927' H. J. WHEELER RENEWABLE FUSE PLUG Filed June 14'.1926 2 Sheets-$11961. 2

R R A Patented July 2 5, [1927 UNITED, STATES I PATENT on on. 1

HARRY WHEELER, oirxANsAs crrnMIssoURn RENEW BLE Application filed J'une1 4,

A further object ofthe inventionfis to provide self-cleaning contactsfor the terminals and the fuse element. I

A further object of the invention is to provide the sockets and plugswith facilities for preventing the metallic spray, incident to the areformed when the fuse is blown, from forming a short circuit.

A further object of the invention is 'to provide seats in the plugs tolimit the carrying capacity of the same to one fusible ele-'mentatatime.

I attain these objects and other advantages by means of thedeviceillustratedin the accompanying drawing in which- I Figure 1 is a topplan view of a fuse plug device which embodies my invention, the capvbeing'omitted; I r i F1gure'2is a longitudinal section of'the devicethrough one of the sockets, on the line 22 in Figure 1'.' v 1 Figure 3is aYlongitudinal section of the device through the other of thesockets, on the line 33 in Figure 1. I

Figure 4is a vertical section through one ofthe sockets, and showing oneof the socket engaging members in operative position therein. 6

Figure 5 is an elevationof the socket engaging member, and showing theseat for receiving the fuse element, also showing the insulator diskthereon. v Figure 6 is an end elevation of the device. I Figure 7 is atop plan view of the socket engaging member.

Figure 8 is aplan view of the lower end of thesocket engaging members,and showing the seats forthe'fuse elements and the anti-r I bridgingchamber therein and, I

' Figure 9 is a plan view of one of the fusible elements.

Similar numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughoutthe several views. t I T Referring to the drawings the numeral 1designates a block of insulating material, preferably porcelain, havingintegral therewith twin sockets 2 and3 and spacedapart transverse ribs4and 5. The sockets are formed cylindrical and the upper ends thereof areprovided with annular shoulders 6.

At diametrically opposite sides of the inner ruse PLUG.

1926. Serial No. 115,830.

walls of the sockets are formed guiding slots 7 and. 8 and which openlinthe shoulders 6 and respectively open at their'lower ends in therecesses'9, 10, 11 and 12 formed in the lowerside of the block 1-.Centrally of the sockets and at their lower ends is formed an annularbottom for the sockets and'in which are formed transversely extendinggaps 13 having vertical'sides and ends, for a purpose that will-behereinafter explained. A little distance below the shoulders 6 the slots7 and 8 are formedback toprovide a housing for the yielding portions ofthe terminals 15 and 16, as shown at-14 in Figures 2, 3 and 4. Theterminals 15 and 16 are made of resilient conducting material,preferably suitable bronze, and are ofa suitable length to be "similarto the form of the terminals 15 and are closely -fitted-to the walls ofthe recesses 10 and 12 and the back walls of the housings 14 whichcommunicate therewith and are held to place by screw bolts 18. The bolts18 holding the terminals 16 associated with the socket 2 are extendedupwardly through the body of the block 1 to a pocket 19 and where theyare provided with nuts 20. The terminal'16 of the socket 2 is extendedupwardly through an opening 21 in the rib 4 and formed to lie upon thebody of the block between the ribs ,4 and 5. Aplate22 of conductingmaterial is 'adjustably mounted on the portion of the terminals 16 ofthesocket 2 by'means of a screw 23which'is extended through the plat-e22and then screwed into the terminal to thereby clamp a conductor wire 24to said terminal. The outer end portions of the terminal 16 associatedwith the socket 3' is held toyplace by ascrew bolt 25 which, isextendedupwardly, through the mounted onthe upper side of the bar andLil impinges on a conductor wire .27. Holes 28 are provided through theblock 1 to receive screws to fasten the device to a support.

The twin sockets 2 and S are provided with individual socket engagingmembers 29 which are made of suitableinsulator material and comprise capportions 30 adapted to it upon the upper ends of the sockets and theannular shoulders 6 at the same time. Centrally of the lower sides ofthe cap portions are integral cylindrical body portions 31 havingdiametrically oppositely disposed ribs 32 which are adapted to slidablyengage the guiding slots 7 and S in the inner walls of the sockets andto engage the yielding portions of the terminals and press the same backinto the housings let. A chamber 33 is formed centrally of the capportions of the socket engaging members to receive and store therein asupply of fuse elements. A cover 34: is formed to close the chamber 33and is rotatably mounted on the cap portions. A chamber is formed in thelower ends of the bodies 31 and is provided with vertical sides andends. Grooved seats 36 are formed in the lower ends of the ribs andcommunicate with the ends of the chambers 35 and their capacity limitedto receive a fusible element 37, one at a time. The fuse element is of asuitable length to project a little distance outwardly of the ribs 32,so that the projecting portions may be folded upward to lie against theouter sides of the ribs 32 to thereby engage the yielding portions ofthe terminals when the socket engaging member is forced to place in thesockets. A disk 38 of insulator material is mounted on the lower ends ofthe body portion 31 and is provided centrally with an opening 89 toprovide communiontion between the chamber 35 and chamber- 40. A lockingdevice il is rotatably mounted between the upper ends of the tw nsockets and is adapted to bear down on the shoulders 4-2 formed in theperipheral edges of the caps and having linger portions 43 adapted tobear upon the upper sides of the caps to hold the socket engaging memberclosely fitted to the sockets.

To operate the device a fusible element is inserted into the groove 36of the socket engaging members and the projecting ends thereof folded upagainst the outer faces of the ribs 32. Then insert the members into thesockets with the ribs 32 entered in the slots 7 and 8 and press themember to place. As the body portion of the members goes down the foldedend portions of the fusible elements engage the yielding portions of theterminals and closes the circuit and, thereafter,. forcing. the yieldingportions of the terminals back in'tothe housings 14 ,The reaction of theyielding portions of the terminals effects a positive contact cf thefuse ei ement with the terminals. The sliding contacts of the fuseelements with. the terminals makes the contact surfaces self-cleaning.The capacity of the grooves 36 being absolutely limited to hold a singlefusible element eliminates all danger of inadvertently making a shortcircuit by installii'ig more than one fuse element at one time. The gaps13 extending at right angles to the fuse element and having verticalfaces prevent the spraying of particles of the fuse element when blownto bridge the sockets, thereby preventing a short circuit by the areincident to a blown fuse. Likewise the vertical faces of the chambers 35are kept free from metallic particles from a blown fuse. The fireflashes incident to the arc of the blown fuse are confined to theinterior of the sockets by the precision of the adjustment of the capportions of the socket engaging members to the sockets and the lockingof the same to place by means of the locking device 11 to which power isapplied by the pressure of the screw is. lVhen a fuse is blown thesocket engaging member is pulled from the socket and the fragmentportions of the fuse may be readily shaken from their seats and anewfuse placed as hereinabove described. "When the socket ongaging memberis pulled from its socket the yielding portions of the terminalsinvolved spring back to their normal. positions.

The electric circuit is from line wire 2% to terminal 16 associated withsocke 2, fuse element 37, terminal to binding post 17 and over a circuithaving resistance, not sl'iowin to binding post 17 associated with thesocket 3, terminal 15, fuse element 37, terminal 16, bolt bar 15, plate26 to line wire 27.

Having claim is A renewable fuse plug, consisting of an insulator bodyhaving twin non-metallic sockets provided with inner annular shouldersand with dian'ictrically opposite guiding slots opening at their upperends in the shoulders and having portions of the slots cut back to formhousings, the floors of said sockets having recessed gaps thereinprovided with vertical faces, terminals extending into the housings insaid sockets and having angularly disposed yielding portions normallyextending inwardly of the sockets, non-metallic individual socketengaging members having diametrically opposite ribs on their sidesadapted to slidably engage the guiding slots in said sockets andslidably press back the yielding portions of said terminals into thehousings in the sockets and cap portions adapted to close the upper endsof the sockets and the guiding slots therein, the lower ends'of saidsocket engaging members, having recessed gaps therein provided withvertical walls and located between the ribs thereon and fuse engaginggrooves in described my invention what I llru 1,634,810' I b g 3 theends of the ribs communicating with the ribs thereon and adapted toslidably said gaps in the members, said grooves being contact theielding portions of said termil0 .limited to receive single fuseelements and nals when t e socket engaging members are non-metallicwashers mounted on said mempushed-to place in the sockets.

fusible elements loosely carried by said 1926.

v 5 bers to hold the fuse elements in place, and Dated Kansas City,Missouri, June 10 socket engaging members and havingtheir end portionsformed'up on the outer sides (of a HARRY J. WHEELER.

